Lumber Briefs: Labor and Lumber Demand are “Coming Back” Matt Layman For the past three years, the housing industry has bemoaned labor as its primary deterrent to increasing productivity, i.e., housing starts. Framing crews suddenly vanished when detainment and deportation of undocumented workers became more prevalent. The initial impact on the housing... Read More May 2019 Issue #11238 Page 78
The Last Word: The Last Word on Wall Framing Joe Kannapell Finally, from top to bottom, the building industry is moving to panelize. National builders, like Pulte, are mandating it. Local building supply yards, like 84 Lumber’s, are building them in backyard sheds. And in between, BMC and BFS are shipping knocked-down versions. We laid the... Read More May 2019 Issue #11238 Page 105
What Decisions Should Truss Builders Be Able to Make? Glenn Traylor In the November 2017 article, “So Who Exactly is Responsible for Lumber Quality?”, we discuss the abundance of quality building materials and the responsibility of the fabricator to evaluate their application in products. We should recall the ultimate decision maker in determining... Read More April 2019 Issue #11237 Page 34
All Things Wood: IBC Balcony Changes Spur “Best Practice” Design Recommendations Frank Woeste Because of their limited structural redundancy and exposure to weather, cantilevered balconies require special attention by design professionals, contractors, permitting and inspection departments, and owners in-service. As shown in the photos, modern wood-framed, multi-family projects often... Read More April 2019 Issue #11237 Page 60
Lumber Briefs: The Repeating Lumber Market Cycle Matt Layman It is my belief that the lumber market trades in a repeating, predictable pattern. That pattern is created by the interaction between production and how the supply chain lumber dealers, component manufacturers, wood preservers, and wholesale distributors collectively prepare for seasonal... Read More April 2019 Issue #11237 Page 78
How Should Defects Be Recorded When Inspecting a Critical Plate? Glenn Traylor A critical plate is a plate with a Joint Stress Index of 80% or greater. The ANSI/TPI 1–2014 Standard stipulates that critical plate inspections must be conducted when completing the three inspections per station/per shift/per week requirement. On average, the standard requires one... Read More March 2019 Issue #11236 Page 34
Lumber Briefs: Trusses Are a Significantly Small Piece of the Puzzle Matt Layman The lumber industry knows me as an outspoken, opinionated lumber market analyst and forecaster. This month, I would like to introduce you to Matt Layman, part-time remodeling contractor. I am now beginning my 7th month of total rehab of my wife’s 70-year old 3 BR, 2 BA family home. Her... Read More March 2019 Issue #11236 Page 78
Lumber Briefs: Building a Bullish Lumber Base for Rising Housing Starts Matt Layman In both the lumber and stock markets, there are more disruptions coming in 2019. The immediate influences of government shutdown, mass exodus from stocks, on-going trade war, volatile oil market, fight to suppress interest rates, President Trump’s legal issues, and global economic and... Read More February 2019 Issue #11235 Page 84
The Last Word: (Another) Last Word on Southern Pine Joe Kannapell Despite our reservations about Southern Pine lumber, the timber industry is betting billions that we’ll buy it. Soon the output of SYP mills will race past other domestic species. Fortunately, technological improvements, both at the saw mill and in our component plants, aim to overcome our... Read More February 2019 Issue #11235 Page 109
Looking Back at 2018 and 2019 Outlook Robert Glowinski As 2018 draws to a close, the American Wood Council (AWC) looks back on what has been a very successful year for wood industry markets. Both federally and in the states, the opportunity for wood products has been greatly expanded, building codes have been very successfully updated to account for... Read More January 2019 Issue #11234 Page 78